My Jim Read Free Page A

to the fields. Mas use him round the house serving and fetching. He dont know what to do in the fields. I tries to show him how to find the worms and pick them off the tobacco plants.
    Emma the crew leader. She lead the work songs. She make a little song for Jim bout a boy scared of a snake getting in his pants. Emma say least Jim can sing. Thats my Jim I says. Folks laughing at him.
    Mas Watson got a slave driver name of Tailor. When he still young Mas hire him out to the tailor in town. He work hard and make Mas good money. Every year Mas get a little more for his labor. But Mas got trouble keeping drivers. Last driver drink hisself to death and Mas say he never gonna hire no white driver again. He call back Tailor to drive us. Tailor drive us harder than the whites. He mad bout being call back from town. Folks say he got a wife in town. Free woman gonna buy him. But she never buy Tailor and he die a slave just like the day he born.
    Mas Watson send Jim to the fields cause one of the mens sick with the gout. Tailor go hard on Jim cause he spoilt. Jim get whip if he cant keep up. Tailor work him harder than the other children. Make him run the rows carrying water on his head. Beat him if he spill any.
    One day Jim aint come when they ring the bell.
    Tailor say where your boy.
    I pretends I aint knows who he talking bout. We been working for weeks with no break. They push us into the fields before dawn. We moves heavy like shadows. Only a string of light showing itself in the sky. Aint barely lay down and time to get up.
    What boy I says.
    The one you give birth to. Tailor laugh. Some the other mens laugh too. Ever since I starts to fill out they like to tease me. Mama tell them leave me be.
    Jim sick she tell Tailor.
    He aint sick Tailor say. He lazy. You go and tell him to tote his black ass out here.
    He cant work now Mama say. He take with the fever in the night. You wait till he cure.
    Mama aint look at Tailor. Just keep walking down the tobacco road.
    I gonna cure him Tailor say. This gonna cure him.
    He crack his whip over Mamas back. She bend down low but aint let out a sound. Everybody else keep walking. Mama get back up and start walking too. Everybody walk but me.
    I tries to move fore Tailor notice me standing there. But my feet chain to the ground.
    What you looking at. Tailor fix his eyes on me. You go and get your boy. You run and fetch your Jim. So I can cures him real good.
    I shakes when he talk to me. Mama narrow her eyes. I starts to run off. Tailors whip sting the back of my leg and I stumbles. I knows better than to fall. Stupid niggers I hears him spit. Whip crack again. I turns round to see Mama on her hands and knees in the dirt. I starts back to help her.
    Tailor looking at me to see what I gonna do. I meets his eyes. He stomp his foot on the ground like a horse bout to charge. I runs fast as I can to the cabins.
    Jim laying on his pallet. He trembling with the chills and his body wet like a man been working all day. You got to get up I tells him. You got to come show Tailor you sick.
    He aint say nothing. Just moan. I puts my hand on his forehead. I hears his teeth rattling round in his head. He aint stir no matter what I says.
    I been gone too long so I starts back to the fields. Tailor act like he aint seen me. They got the field fire going and he standing over it warming hisself. I goes to my row and starts in to worming. I knows he gonna hit me. I just aint knows when.
    He wait till the day almost gone. We gathering our sacks and starting for the cabins.
    Where you going gal.
    I hears Tailors voice over my shoulder. He got two other mens with him. When I turns round they grab me and hold me down. I screams. They pull my dress over my eyes. I thinks he gonna whip me but he dont. He shake his pipe over me. Ash burn my arm and stomach. I yells so loud Mas Watson come to his window. He look out at the fields but night already falling. His eyes cant see me.
    Emma help Mama pick me up. They cuss Tailor